What it means
A unit of weight for very strong drugs given in tiny amounts, such as fentanylFEN-tuh-nilA very strong, fast-acting opioid pain drug given by IV, skin patch or through the lining of the mouth.Full entry , levothyroxine and digoxin. 1 mg = 1,000 mcg. "mcg" is the safe way to write it; the Greek-letter form "µg" is on ISMP's list of error-prone abbreviations because a handwritten µ can be read as "m", giving a dose 1,000 times too large.
For the nurse
Double-check every conversion between mg and mcg. Move the decimal point three places: 0.125 mg = 125 mcg.
Remember it
Milli is a thousandth; micro is a thousand times smaller again.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | Do not write µg (ISMP error-prone); write mcg |
|---|---|
| Also written | microgram, micrograms |
Related terms
fentanyl
A very strong, fast-acting opioid pain drug given by IV, skin patch or through the lining of the mouth.
mg
Milligram: one thousandth of a gram.
medication error
A preventable mistake at any step of prescribing, preparing, giving or monitoring a medicine, whether or not it causes harm.